To outsiders Oprington might be considered simply a commuter town, but it has plenty to offer visitors and locals alike.

Orpington is in a prime transport location, within easy reach of central London by train and with good links to the nearby motorway network.

However, there is more to Orpington than its exit routes.

The busy town centre, with its long straight High Street, is ideal for shopping, while Orpington Priory, Museum and Gardens provide a range of leisure and educational facilities.

The site is situated just off Orpington High Street and the gardens are a stark contrast from the busy town centre.

First mentioned in 1032, the name Orpington means Orped's farm.

Orpington has had a main railway line since 1868. The train service improved considerably from 1904 when the station was rebuilt and enlarged.

Developers soon took an interest in Orpington and the town began to be built up before the First World War and during the inter-war years.

As development continued, the High Street changed from a sleepy village street to a busy shopping centre complete with its own cinemas.

Some pre-Victorian buildings survived in the High Street into the 1970s, but most of these were swept away by the Walnuts development, to the east of the High Street, which consisted of shops, offices, a large college of further education and a new police station.

The appearance of the town could change yet again, with Tesco planning to create a large supermarket on the Station Road car park site.